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LANETT – The District 4 Neighborhood Watch chapter hosted a community-wide get-together on Saturday to spread the message of wanting Lanett to be a cleaner, safer and more peaceful place to be. The gathering gook place on the playground across from W.O. Lance Elementary School. Everyone who came out was treated to hot dogs, chips, snacks, drinks and snow cones.

Out-of-town visitors driving through Lanett might wonder if there are Cleveland baseball team fans in the city since signs referencing the Guardians can be seen throughout the city. Guardians is not just the name of the Major League baseball team in Cleveland it’s also the nickname for the District 4 Neighborhood Watch chapter. The signs carry messages like “The Guardians are Watching You”, “Our Community is NOT Your Dumpster!”, and “We CARE, We SEE and We REPORT!”

The Guardians are led by Rev. Harold Henson, pastor of the Lanett Church of the Nazarene. Henson and his wife Angie have been at the church for the past three years. Before coming to Lanett, they lived in rural Oklahoma for 13 years so living in a town has brought with it some adjustments.

“In Oklahoma, there might not be more than four or five homes within miles of where we lived, but we knew and were friends with all our neighbors,” Henson said. “In a town where the homes are right next to each other, you may not know your next-door neighbor.”

Henson would like for more people to have Guardian signs in their yards. Some people are reluctant to put them up out of fear of possible retaliation.

“The Guardians of Lanett is a group of concerned citizens uniting to make Lanett a safer, more peaceful, and cleaner community in which we can work, live and raise our families,” Henson said. “We work with local law enforcement agencies to curb the escalation of crime and other destructive activities that currently plague our beloved community.”

Henson said that the Guardians’ concern for the city extends beyond District 4 to take in the entire town.

“We report crime and suspicious activity throughout our community,” Henson said. “We promote civic and community engagement as well as increased community interaction. We know that when the good people of Lanett come together we can make a significant contribution to the peace and safety of our community.”

Henson went on to say that the Guardians want to build a large and growing movement of concerned citizens who work together as a team. “We would like to invite all concerned citizens to join our movement, help us guard our city and make it a better place to live,” he said.

Henson said the sign campaign seeks to bring attention to what the Guardians are trying to do and to increase involvement. “We want to let those who are causing problems know that we are not going to just sit back and do nothing, letting crime go wild in our neighborhoods,” he said.

The Guardians have monthly meetings at the Nazarene Church. “We meet at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month,” Henson said. “Come and learn how you can become part of this movement to make a difference. You can also find us on Facebook at “The Guardians.”

The chapter will not meet in June.

Mayor Jamie Heard and members of the city council were present at the community-wide gathering.

“I want to thank everyone for being here today,” said Heard. “I also want to thank the Guardians for what they are doing.”

Heard said that such collective actions have made a difference. He pointed to one house in District 4 that had been a continual source of illegal drug use and crime. Arrests were made and the house was abandoned. It has since been torn down, and the lot cleaned up.

“I’d like to see active Neighborhood Watch groups all over the city,” Heard said.

Heard and District 4 Council Member Angelia Thomas are regular attendees at the Guardians’ meetings.

“This has been a great day,” Thomas said. “I want to thank Rev. Henson and Angie for what they are doing. Lanett is not dead, far from it. We have a few bad apples, but they have not spoiled the whole bunch. The green grass far outshines the weeds.”

“The Guardians are giving us hope,” said Council Member Tamalita Autry.

Others speaking in support of them included Council Members Ronnie Tucker and Tifton Dobbs along with Brandon Bagley.